Until I have you
by Lacreta
Summary: By some chance encounter, sasuke sees hinata in a different light. See the lengths an uchiha will undergo in order to win the hyuuga’s affections. Sasuhina
1. Default Chapter

My first naruto fic, be nice.

Disclaimer: I don't own okay XD

**-o-Prologue-o-**

It began when the scarlet horizon was painted black, and the remainders of the dizzy orange and crimson hues of the sun were chased away. The rain clouds had come by then, disturbing the silent tranquility of the sky. And within a moment's time, a slight drizzle had begun to settle.

She stood, there in front of a lone bench in the outskirts of Konoha park. With an oversized jacket and a dreamy faraway look. She had been there since sunset and still was, inhaling the sweet earthy scent and basking in the small amount of comfort rain brought.

She drowned her worries away with the sound of the developing downpour.

A hurried glance would almost make you believe that she were a statue, lifeless and unmoving, one with blank, blank eyes, if not for the subtle and occasional rise and fall of her chest.

The stillness of the moment was cut abruptly when she raised both her hands and cupped it around her mouth, as if to whisper. And whisper she did, believing that when she whispered her troubles to the rain, it might, by some circumstance, wash it away.

**-o-O-o-**

Some say the angels cry whenever it rained.

Some say otherwise.

To him, it was just a nuisance.

It got in the way of his training, soaked him through, and when it did, his hair got onto his eyes and stuck to his forehead.

And what he abhorred most especially, were the things that got in his way.

Training was always how his life went, day after day, rather monotonously, regardless of the weather. He would only go home after night settled in and the sky would be freckled with stars.

But today, he noted carelessly as he trudged down the worn road and shoved some more bangs from his line of vision; the stars couldn't be seen through the pelting drops of water.

He drifted aimlessly down the stretch of dirt, deciding in a split second, upon reaching a forked path, to change his route and take the shortcut to his apartment. The downpour increased steadily as he gave precise and calculated steps down the road that led past Konaha park, thinking of nothing in particular, but still alert, when a sudden silhouette caught his eye.

Black, midnight blue locks hung limply, reaching the small of her back. Her nose was slightly pink from the cold and a gentle smile graced her lips. Her eyes though, were what caught his attention. A sharp milky white, prominent even in the hazy mist.

Hyuuga Hinata.

It was strange how he never really noticed her. In fact, there was barely anything that piqued much of his interest other than his goals. Up until now that is.

He watched as she slowly held her hands against the porcelain skin of her face and whispered to the rain. He couldn't hear anything, but such an eccentric behavior had him rooted to the spot.

Needless to say, Uchiha Sasuke was intrigued.

It was undoubtly some time before she noticed a pair of eyes on her form, and only then did she feel the biting cold and the weight of the water absorbed by her cotton clothing.

She turned and squeaked in surprise when she caught sight of him. It was characteristically expected even to him, but when she gave an embarrassed blush, it somehow made his breath hitch in his throat.

Then she ran.

He didn't seem to care that the onslaught of water had continued spattering against his back. Sasuke stood with a nonchalant expression, watching as the dim outline of herfigure dissipated vastly from view and a slow smirk couldn't help but find its way to his lips.

"…Interesting."

**-o-O-o-**

Alright, I'm not sure if this sucked or not...okay so maybe it did suck,but please tell me if I should continue or not coughreviewcough. This was basically an intro of sorts, so I promise the next chaps will be better.Sorry if it did suck ass though, I'm trying hard to write something more serious but I can't stand writing a really serious fic all the way (I'll go nuts), so maybe humor is bound to come later on.


	2. under surveillance

Disclaimer: I don't own

I'd just like to say thanks to everyone who took the time to review:

**Rei-Chan**, nanashi, **fried ryce**, lesha, **ElasticBobaTurtle**, HinatasBiggestFanBoy, **MOMOKO**, Dyroness, **tone**, Random person, **ACM a.k.a. Annie May** and lun.

I'd write individual thank yous if I had the time right now...but i don't (cries)

**-o-Under Surveillance-o-**

The chimes tinkered delicately as it announced the entrance of another possible customer. A gust of stale wind blew in from the crack of distance when the door was opened, letting in some fresh air into the dank atmosphere of the antique shop. It ended when a partly gloved hand shut it with such a swift and gentle motion, that the bells almost didn't make a sound.

He breathed in a controlled pattern, flattening his back on the cherry colored wood of the door frame. His eyes were trained on a certain individual who was currently buying fruit from a stand.

Uchiha Sasuke had been up since 7 a.m. for this, and surprisingly, it wasn't for training.

He was tailing his prey.

A slow predatory smirk arose as he relaxed his countenance and strode a little away from the door. It seemed that her 'shopping' was going to take some time so he decided to stay in a corner and observe the shop's wares, shifting his weight from side to side in order to pass time.

But Sasuke got bored looking at random old stuff pretty soon.

He wasn't meaning to eavesdrop; it was just that the discussion two wrinkled old women were having had been particularly loud. He glanced expressionlessly at the window, partly listening.

"You know the Hyuuga girl?...Hinaba was it?" The plump one huddled in an aisle a few meters from him started.

"Oh Hinata, that polite young lady —"

Sasuke turned his head so fast, he almost had whiplash. Almost.

"—you mean the one that fancies the kyuubi boy?"

"Yes, yes…" the crone cackled, as though it were the funniest thing in the world. "Though I can't imagine a shy little thing like her, ever falling for someone as rambunctious as that one…"

Sasuke moved a little closer to their aisle, keeping his apathetic mask on as his mind absorbed the new information.

The Uchiha gave a little snort. He had to agree with the old hag though.

It was hard picturing Hinata fawning over the stupid idiot—

…Wait, WHAT?

Hinata _**liked** _the _**dobe**_?

**-o-O-o-**

**"………."**

The shopkeeper poked the motionless form. "…kid."

"Kid."

"KID."

"'EY KID, YOU BUYIN' ANYTHIN' OR ARE YA JUST GONNA STAND AROUND GAPIN' LIKE A GOLDFISH?"

It took nearly three minutes to break the lad from his stupor, apparently with a slap. And Sasuke wasn't nearly surprised that his jaw had gone slack during that time.

Sasuke glared his notorious ice glare at the shopkeeper as the pinkish skin on his cheek stung.

He wondered dimly if he'd seek revenge in the near future—but he had more pressing matters to attend to as of the moment.

Sasuke's eyes roved over the bobbing heads seen through the clear windowpane and hastily noted that there wasn't a hint of black or midnight blue in the throng.

Damn, lost her again.

The man tapped his foot impatiently. "Well?"

"…Bah." He turned and gone, quick as a flash.

**-o-O-o-**

"—About that Hyuuga.."

The other elder leaned in to catch all the juicy details.

"I heard she's close to becoming disowned—"

**-o-O-o-**

Sasuke leapt expertly from tree to tree.

Luckily, he had caught a glimmer of the forehead protector she kept on her neck just before she blended in with the crowd. He hid behind Konoha's abundant greenery, taking in the mosaic liveliness of the scenery and making sure not to lose sight of her again.

It was only some time, before the only people left would be him and her. The gears of his mind turned, a new plan hatching.

**-o-O-o-**

Hinata couldn't help but feel a little paranoid. She had this feeling of being watched since sunrise. The feeling you get most especially, when someone is glaring hard on your back enough to bore holes through it.

She shivered.

She didn't even need to activate her byakugan to know that she was definitely under close scrutiny.

That was why she had chosen to walk through the busiest and most people infested streets of Konoha.

But now, as the sun was halfway through the horizon, the merchants had already started packing away their goods.

And the crowds were thinning.

By the time she had reached the road to her home, the area was practically deserted. Worse, she could still feel a pair of eyes trained on her back.

Hinata continued striding down the path, noticing nervously that she was the only one around left within the area and several kilometers away. She could almost feel her knees buckling in apprehension.

A bead of sweat trickled down her neck as Hinata's walk ended in a shaky halt. She gripped the sides of her loose jacket, trying to keep the quiver from her voice. "W-who's there?"

**-o-O-o-**

You could say that the Uchiha was expecting this; after all, she was a jounin now herself. Though he had to admit that he was slightly impressed, he hadn't expected his discovery so soon. But he wasn't about to retreat just then.

Sasuke performed a hand seal with practiced ease and the thick foliage did its job to muffle the popping noise with a rustle.

Fingering both sides of his face for the indention of whiskers, he smirked satisfactorily and decided to end Hinata's suspense.

An orange blur of weight landed deftly on the ground. The Hyuuga tensed, but the ruffled blonde hair and fox-like grin eased her from her defensive stance.

Hinata didn't have time to sigh in relief though, for her features had immediately caught fire. "N-n-naruto-kun!"

"HEY HINATA!" Sasuke gagged mentally, but forced himself to look exceptionally carefree and clueless. "Watcha doing here?"

Hinata looked down and started playing with her fingers. Previous worries forgotten, she flushed with happiness. "Oh, I-I um was just doing some um e-errands f-for my m-m-mother…"

The Uchihafelt a bit disappointed, he noted this with slight confusion,that her blush wasn't figuratively aimed at him. But Sasuke easily shook the weird feeling off and decided to end the small talk, pointless conversation tended to grate on his nerves.

"Anyway, I was thinking of eating down Ichiraku next week,and it is gettingkindalonely by myself..." He paused for dramatic effect.

"So…wanna come?" Sasuke struggled to keep the wide grin on his face and even scratched the back of his neck in mock embarrassment.

He was already confident of her positive response though.

Extremely confident.

**-o-O-o-**

I've decidedto write this story til the end since I've already started it. And with that said, I'm gunnatry to update once a week. I'm sorry if this chapdidn't live up to your expectations though, and I'm willing to hear some constructive critisism, EVEN FLAMES! But for now...there's a cute little button on the lower left corner, i dunno what it does...but you should try clicking on it. Really. (whistles innocently)


	3. competition

**Disclaimer: cries**

**blisblop** – wahaha you pressed the button! I'm glad you did. Btw, the reason sasuke decided to talk to hinata as naruto is—in the next chapter

**Scented Candles** - Thanx Usually I proofread my work several times before I'm confident enough to post it online. I'm really glad you didn't find any major faults and stuff!

**ElasticBobaTurtle** – I'm happy that you stuck with this story! I'm also happy that you reviewed again, reviews make me high. Oh, and I guess sasuke will be stalking hinata for a little longer…

**Kichou** – thanx, here it is, I hope you like it.

**-o-Competition-o-**

"I-Im s-s-sorry N-Naruto-kun," she inhaled sharply. "b-but I'll be b-busy."

Without making eye contact, Hinata went past him and broke into a run.

Sasuke remained immobile, stunned for the second time.

Had he just been…rejected?

**-o-O-o-**

Her sandals created thundering thuds on the ground, rising dust by the force of her steps. Hinata finally paused to catch her breath by a fork inthe path.

The Gods must be against me, she thought in despair. Why did this opportunity have to come at such a bad time? Last she heard, Naruto was dating Sakura and she wouldn't want to intrude…

—But if Naruto was with Sakura, then he wouldn't be asking_ her_ out would he? Her conscience argued. Even if it were merely a friendly get-together.

Hinata held both sides of her head in anguish, realizing her mistake.

She was an idiot. Now, he probably wouldn't look at her twice again.

Should she run back and say that it was all a mistake and that she'd gladly come? What if Naruto-kun suddenly changed his mind?

Idiot, idiot, idiot…

It took a moment before she realized that she was crouched in the middle of the street with her head sandwiched between her hands. The Hyuuga colored, she must have looked deranged… Hinata picked herself up and decided to drown herself in her self-pity at home.

It just so happened that when she looked up, she realized that she been right in front of the Ichiraku ramen bar. There, sitting on a stool was Naruto himself.

Her eyes widened. But how could he—

Her train of thought was cut short however, when Naruto noticed her presence and started to approach her. Hinata went back to her usual flustered self.

"HEY HINATA!" He gave a little wave, accompanied by his fox-grin. "Watcha doing here?"

Hinata looked down and bit her lip, blushing like mad. Hadn't this happened before…? "U-um, I w-was on my way h-h-home…"

An uncomfortable pause.

"Oh."

They stood without saying anything to each other for a while, both blushing. Gazes on the sky, the trees, the clouds…

Naruto'd been hearing some rumors that Hinata liked him for some time and actually thought it over in a deep, soul searching afternoon. He'd found out then that after all these years, maybe, he did like her back. Hinata _was_ pretty and kind and considerate and it wouldn't hurt to give wooing her a shot.

"Hey," Naruto started. "Uh, I was thinking of eating down Ichiraku tomorrow, but it's getting kinda lonely by myself," He scratched his head, suddenly feeling uncharacteristically as flustered as the Hyuuga. "so, uh, er, what I mean is…wanna come?"

Hinata's mind was reeling, had she just been asked by Naruto _two_ times? She was in too much of a shock that she didn't even feel herself nod in reply.

"Really? GREAT!" Naruto punched the air. "I'll meet you at your house at seven then!"

By the time Hinata had snapped off her trance, Naruto was already halfway down the road. A thought suddenly slipped into her mind. Hinata gasped, half-stumbling her way towards the blond. "Gah, w-w-wait Naruto-kun!" She paused to catch her breath. "A-aren't you dating S-sakura?"

"Huh?" He looked mildly confused. "No, why?"

"O-oh," She flushed in happiness, the constriction in her chest suddenly gone. "I-it's nothing…"

Naruto gave her another of his fox-like grins, Hinata melted. "Oh, is that all? See ya tomorrow then!"

Hinata dropped her hand down mid-wave, a giddy sensation in her system as she watched Naruto. Maybe the other Naruto she saw before was just her imagination. Or the heat getting to her. But it didn't matter now right? Naruto had asked her out, and she'd agreed.

And she was happy, really happy.

**-o-O-o-**

Did he do it wrong?

Maybe the Hyuuga girl didn't really like the dobe in the first place, who in the right mind would anyway?

Either way, it was a major blow to his ego. None of the plans he had planned this carefully had screwed up before…

Sasuke sat on the branch of a sturdy oak tree overlooking the Hyuuga compound, letting his legs dangle carelessly in the air. He was in a foul mood he supposed, as he glared at the butterfly that fluttered by, the dog, the old man with the shitty looking cane, Hinata—

Damn.

Hinata seemed to notice the pressure of his glare, as she immediately turned to his direction and blushed an awful shade of cherry.

She snapped her head back to where it was facing originally, particularly avoiding his eyes and took slow jerky movements towards the Hyuuga mansion. It was amusing how she tried to show that she was unaffected when she was obviously shaken.

Hinata tried desperately to keep her composure, knowing that he was watching her every move, but it was hard, especially as the memory of the night before suddenly flooded back into her mind.

That particular evening after she had returned to the Hyuuga mansion had gone by rather uneventfully, even a blur in her mind. The only memory she recalled quite clearly was when she had dived under the covers of her bed blushing crazily, heartbeat erratic. No matter how many times she tried, the embarrassing scene of the renowned Uchiha Sasuke ever seeing her in that situation kept replaying in her head. So she had spent almost the entire night willing the flush away and wishing for some peace in her dreams. The Hyuuga hardly got any shuteye then.

As soon as Hinata reached the gates of her home, she almost rushed inside and hastily shut the door. She let a minute linger, pressing her back against the iron gates until her pants of breath had evened out. Hinata held her quivering hands against her cheeks, it was boiling hot, and it was no good to let any of the branch or main house family members see her current condition.

Somehow, she could still feel his gaze even through the thick metal separating them. It was strange how he had this effect on her. The Hyuuga shivered as she made her way to her room. It was really strange.

Once her aura had gone faint in his senses, Sasuke jumped from the branch he had been sitting on, a smirk curling in his lips.

He wasn't about to give up yet just because of a failed attempt.

After all, a good challenge was what kept his blood on fire.

**-o-O-o-**

What's sasuke to do? This isn't gonna turn into naruhina by the way, it's sasuhina, and sasuhina til the end! XD

Sorry for the late update, had our final exams keeping me up. It was HELL, HELL. Uh, so anyways, now that we're having our summer break (woOoo!), I can update more!


	4. gauche

Disclaimer: don't own ;;

Before all that, I'd just like to give a big sorry for the really late update. My computer broke down (virus) and stuff so… please forgive me! Oh, and thanks to the reviewers :)

**Dark Nadeshiko** – maybe, I'm considering if she should pop out sometime, but I have a sakura bashing fic if you're interested

**Hokai Amplifier** – thanks, hope you enjoy this chapter too (sorry for the late update tho)

**Nioma Maxwell **– here it is after some writer's block, hope you like

**insanely-normal** – you stacked up the reviews of this story and added it to your faves? Twinkly smile (I'll find time to review more of your stories)

**lesha** – thanx for the support, it makes me feel all happy and hyper. I'm really hyped to know that you'll be sticking through this til the end.

**mya **– glad you're also a fan of this pairing

**-o-Gauche-o-**

The mountains seemed to be swallowing the sun up as it melted, like hot butter on bread, on the vast horizons of Konoha. A girl was standing just a little ways from the gates of the Hyuuga mansion, looking apprehensively on both sides of the streets.

It was already quarter past seven.

Hinata bit her lip in worry, where was Naruto?

**-o-O-o-**

Sasuke caught sight of her at around that time, when he was doing his usual cooling down by jumping around trees. He stopped himself halfway from hopping down, knowing that Hinata would be too intimidated for him to be able to talk to her, and genjutsu'd first into Naruto before doing so. He landed bodily on the ground.

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata exclaimed. She hid an inaudible sigh of relief. "Um, s-shall we get going?..."

Going? WTF…

When Sasuke glanced back at her he almost tripped, and immediately did a double take. Hinata was actually dressed up for some reason.

The Uchiha was getting more confused by the minute but the WTF expression was wiped off his face in a second, the famous grin replacing it.

He decided to play along since it looked like an opportunity he shouldn't miss out. "Let's go then." He said confidently, even though he didn't have the faintest idea on where they were supposed to be going.

Along the way, Sasuke thought up of a possible place he could bring her, swiveling through streets and shops as he led her to Konoha's most commercialized district. They stopped in front of one of those fancy restaurants in the end, girls loved that he supposed. And Sakura kept jabbering on and on especially about this one. Beside him, Hinata played with the hem of her shirt, wondering why they had stopped in front of a really classy restaurant instead of Ichiraku.

"U-um N-naruto-kun?"

"Hn—YEAH HINATA?"

"A-aren't we going to um, I-ichiraku?" Hinata twiddled her fingers.

Sasuke cursed under his breath, mind racing for an excuse despite the rampant confusion building. "Change of plans…I wanted to…surpise you." He forced a laugh and scratched his head for good measure, hoping that she would buy it.

"O-oh." Hinata flushed, feeling giddy despite herself that Naruto went through the trouble, even though the ambience was going to make her queasy…

Cool wind blew over their faces as they entered and the couple was immediately assaulted by a sophisticated atmosphere. Sasuke led her to the most secluded table in the corner. Even so, Hinata was feeling conscious in her casual clothes.

They settled down, and a waiter came seconds later to take their orders. After a moment, the silence rang so clearly that Hinata could hear the tinker of glasses and some mild chattering.

Her eyes stayed glued on her lap, not knowing what to expect in dates…

It was awkward and new even to Sasuke. So he took to just observing her as she ate, brooding slightly over the surprising turn of events and figuring out what the hell was really happening right now. Hinata was a bit unvoiced, although it didn't matter, he liked quiet. But he couldn't help but feel _a little_ troubled wondering if she was enjoying herself. Little did he know that she was thinking along the same lines.

Hinata bit her lip from time to time and picked on her food a little, fidgeting in her seat. Naruto being strangely quiet…

It was only until halfway through their dinner that the tension got so thick that Sasuke had to break the silence for the sake of their sanity.

"You're eyes look…cool." Sasuke started lamely.

Hinata looked embarrassed. "…T-thanks."

Silence.

Hinata bit her lip, worried that Naruto was finding her too boring.

"Um…"

Silence.

"The w-weather's n-nice today…"

"Yeah…"

Silence.

At this point, Sasuke became aware of Hinata's desperation in trying to start a conversation. Not that he was any good at it himself… He just figured that the best probable way was to find a topic he was good at.

"…So, how's your training going?"

"U-um, It's…" She shifted her gaze to various objects before landing right back on her food. "…fine."

Sasuke kept himself from narrowing his eyes. He could tell that she was lying through her teeth.

Silence.

At his lack of response, Hinata took it as Naruto waiting for her to talk more about herself. She fidgeted. "K-kiba helps me t-train sometimes…"

A pregnant pause.

"…You're lucky to have teammates like that." Sasuke said, for lack of better things to say, but then he decided that their conversation was steering to the path he had in mind. He smiled hugely and perked up. "Hey, what do you think of my teammates?"

She considered his question—wait, did Naruto just compliment _Kiba_?

"S-sakura's nice…"

Sasuke tried to look inconspicuous. "How about Sasuke?"

Hinata's brows furrowed subtly, pausing to think. "I-I don't really know h-him…"

His brows rose a little at that. He was expecting something along the lines of cold or cute and hot. It was a nice change for once though, he thought, not noticing that his lips had quirked into a faint hint of a smile.

"U-um, N-naruto-kun…there's a f-fly in your soup…"

**-o-O-o-**

Somewhere in Ichiraku…

Naruto slurped the noodles like he had been starved for days, giving off a loud belch after clearing his 9th bowl.

"Oi! Another one please!"

After my twelfth bowl of ramen, I guess I'll have to pick Hinata up…

Naruto looked offhandedly at his watch and immediately choked—

"HOLY CRAP I'M LATE!"

**-o-O-o-**

It reached 3 hours before midnight when Sasuke walked her home.

They had talked a bit more in halting sentences, but through the night they had managed to converse more normally. Hinata was finally able to feel more at ease around him. The same could be said for Sasuke, even if it was a strange and new sensation for him.

They strode side by side, just enjoying the quiet and the occasional breeze. But the pair got tongue-tied once more once the Hyuuga residence's gate came to view. Hinata had stopped, unsure of what to do.

After a stretch of awkward silence, she finally found her voice.

"I-I had a great time tonight."

"Um, yeah…" Sasuke replied evenly, feeling flustered for some reason.

He turned his head side view for a moment to hide his uncertainty, catching sight of a random neon green flyer about some festival tacked at the opposite wall in the process.

The gears of Sasuke's mind turned and then he grinned a fox-like grin. "Hey, there's this festival tomorrow night and I was wondering if you could, you know, come with me?"

"S-sure." Hinata stuttered, blushing.

They both paused awkwardly.

"…Goodnight." Sasuke finally said, catching a part of Hinata's stuttering reply before sauntering off hastily.

Slowly, the soft smile on Hinata's face crumbled into an apprehensive look.

SureHinata was considered weak, but she wasn't stupid. Although a thin film of doubt plagued her, conviction rang clearly in her mind.

That wasn't Naruto.

But the thought that bothered her the most was that she had still enjoyed that date.

**-o-O-o-**

The chapterturned out this way coz that's what i think would happen if sasu and hina went out. I think this was needed as a getting to know you phase,their silence and awkwardness will disappear eventually when they get familiar w/ each other. Sorry if thestory got dragging becoz of this andI experienced a sortof writer's block after I got this computer fixed and so…

Next chap: festival, find out what hinata will do now that she knows he isn't naruto. ;)

So, review. XD


	5. identity

Disclaimer: I still don't own

Please don't kill me! I know this excuse is old, but my laptop got another virus coz um, apparently SOMEONE coughbrothercough had been surfing through porn…again. Hence the late update. Other than that, I got a little sidetracked ehehe ;

**firewindgurl**– glad you think so. :)

**Scented Candles** – here it is after the long, long, long,…long wait. I hope it makes up for it.

**deadgalwalking** – I think I was inspired when I wrote the first chapter ;P

**Hokai Amplifier** – finally did, I'm relieved you didn't find the last chapter too boring.

**Nioma Maxwell** – Sasuke will reveal his true identity in this chapter. And you're right, he must be the farthest from Hinata's mind

**mya** – I'll try to make Sasuke more in character. Now that he isn't posing as Naruto, I think it'll be easier for me. XD

**lesha** – I am too :), maybe that's why i like writing about hinata. and sorry for the late update

**insanely-normal** – I'm so happy I finally got to post, so here it is.

**-o-Identity-o-**

Looking through the window, one wouldn't expect to see odd things. Odd things being, an apathetic Naruto with arms crossed defensively, and there wasn't any hint of his grin. He was still waiting patiently even after five minutes had passed since he had asked for her. It certainly cleared all the doubts of her suspicion, but now, she was frozen in terror by the window, finding it hard to tear her eyes away from him. Hinata had already been dressed in her lavender kimono since his arrival but she was still torn between going out and staying in.

'Face your fears.' She told herself, willing her body to take action. After several more minutes of indecision, she finally managed to appear outside the mansion's gates.

Sasuke saw her delay as a girl thing and ignored it, forcing the fox grin on. He extended an arm to her.

"Let's go!" Hinata heard him announce loudly. Now, examining his actions attentively, Hinata realized that it was forced enthusiasm.

She wrung the fingers of her right hand nervously while they strode, moving onto her left, then her right, then her left—

Hinata suddenly stopped and Sasuke was forced to do so as well, puzzled. He was expecting her to say something but after an extended amount of silence, his patience ran thin.

"…Hinata?"

The floor seemed more interesting for the Hyuuga at that moment. Hinata gulped before painfully forcing her eyes to meet his and started softly.

"…I know you aren't N-Naruto-kun."

He didn't show any indication whether he was surprised or not. Instead, the fox-smile remained frozen in Naruto's face. There was another lapse of tense silence wherein Hinata stood, watching his movements nervously. Still, she was caught completely off guard when the grin dropped entirely and the left corner of his lips tugged into a smirk.

"I'm not." He confirmed flatly, deciding to drop the whole Naruto act.

Sweat trickled down Hinata's forehead; she didn't notice her hands visibly shaking. "…W-who are you?"

Sasuke took this chance to weigh out the pros and cons of revealing himself right now, but Hinata took his silence negatively.

"I-If you're after my bloodline, I-I…I won't let you." Hinata jumped backwards to create a distance between them as she unsheathed a kunai, taking a tense stance of the gentle fist.

"I'm not." He scoffed and crossed his arms. "I haven't tried anything last time, did I?"

Hinata still looked dubious, progressively more questions were flooding into her mind. "…T-then why did you pose as N-naruto-kun?" she asked.

Sasuke smirked. The answer to that was easy.

"I wanted to," He paused, realizing that he actually _didn't_ know the reason himself. Was it to make friends? Pursue her? No, he was just…curious. But why did he go to this extent? Observing her would be sufficient to satisfy his curiosity.

Hinata grew more and more anxious as his mental turmoil went on.

Sasuke was clenching and unclenching his fist sporadically. At about this point, the Uchiha was getting highly frustrated as he was _always_ aware of his intentions and more often than not, he didn't like it when he wasn't in control of the situation. This talk was pointless.

"Forget it." He bit out finally, forming a hand seal for a quick escape.

The rush of pressure was unexpected, seconds later, Sasuke found himself pinned to a wall. He had under-estimated her completely, it was just too bad he only realized it now. Hinata appeared a few steps away from him, barely holding onto her offensive position; she was trembling so badly it looked like she would break down anytime. "W-w-who are you?"

An easy escape would've been just a snap but his pride suddenly kicked in, dictating he had to go through with the original plan if he didn't want to count failure. He _would _figure a way to work this to his advantage. With a plan in mind, Sasuke placed his confusions aside for the moment, and gave her a piercingly smug look.

"…I'll show you after we go to the festival."

**-o-O-o-**

Lights poured from every stall andthe banners fluttered as they arrived. Noise was already existent in every corner and many genins ran around the entrance.

Sasuke was a little relieved now that he didn't have to act like Naruto. His cheeks were already hurting from grinning too much and who knew how much of an idiot he looked when he tried acting hyper. Whereas Hinata had been quite agitated since they arrived at the square.

The Hyuuga had only eased up a bit after visiting several booths. She had become quite assured that he wasn't going to try anything with a hundred or so ninjas crowded within the same perimeter.

She followed beside him, already beginning to enjoy herself while he led her from booth to booth, looking at wares and trying out games. They went to a gaudily decorated place next, featuring kingyo sukui, after exploring most of the other areas.

Hinata didn't think he'd be succesful at first, seeing as how the owner was confident that very few would succeed. But he caught 2 goldfishes on his first try; using the brittle paper scoops with such skill and accuracy that Hinata had to admit that she herself was a little impressed. After winning enough rounds for the more expensive prizes, she found it unusual when he didn't bother to ask what prize she wanted, he picked it himself.

Sasuke leaned over her to retrieve the prize, long enough for Hinata to catch a whiff of him which strangely enough, was something vaguely familiar, mixed with his own distinct masculine scent. It didn't occur to her that she had zoned out until a charm bangle was shoved into her hands.

She flushed horribly when she realized what she had just been thinking about. It was a good thing he didn't notice.

Hinata looked down and felt her heart flutter as she glanced upon the trinket he gave her. She couldn't help but smile a bit while she wore it on. Its silver matched her eyes.

"Thanks." She told Sasuke shyly.

The Uchiha returned a nod of acknowledgement, feeling a bit pleased.

He led her onto the kunai throwing contest next. They both participated, but Sasuke easily surpassed all the other contestants, hitting perfect bull's-eyes on the complicated and moving targets without much effort. Almost as if he was born a genius.

Gathered based on observation, Hinata would say the closest possibility to whom the unknown ninja was would be Neji. But not only would that be impossible, but also a bit…disturbing. Neji and this person's personality didn't seem to match entirely as well.

After no doubt winning the match, he unconsciously threw in a smug look after which Hinata had a fleeting feeling of déjà vu. Sasuke caught her staring and she snapped her view somewhere else, feeling her face grow hot. It just seemed so familiar…

"U-um, are you s-someone I know?" Hinata ducked her head in order to hide her blush.

"Not really." He answered cryptically, remembering her words from their dinner before.

Hinata fell silent and pondered over this a bit.

After basking comfortably in silence, Hinata's stomach chose the worst time to grumble loudly. The Hyuuga turned ten shades of red in embarrassment. "S-sorry…I, um…""

Sasuke did little to hide his amusement; a blatant smirk was on his face. "You should have said so if you were hungry."

Sasuke took hold of her wrist and led her to one of the food stands.

He ordered some riceballs while she chose from the variety of pastries, searching then settling for a cinnamon roll. They sauntered around the shadier parts awhile, where the trees were rustling and the wind blew at their faces and the people's voices were just a murmur from the distance. Hinata had little trouble picking a secluded bench hence after settling down with Sasuke to eat.

The night sky was just getting darker and the food disappearing into their stomachs when Hinata realized that there wasn't anything much left for them to do. It was quite a queer feeling when you could hear your heart hammering in your ears and you're suddenly nervous while feeling happy and at peace. Hinata was growing anxious on who 'Naruto' would turn out to be but 'he' didn't seem to be worried or excited about it, in fact, she felt no emotion at all, just a cool, calm and collected aura emanating. Still, even if she wasn't sure if he was a threat or not, she had unconsciously let her guard down the whole night as she felt strangely safe around him.

Hinata's heart almost jumped out of her throat when Sasuke suddenly moved from his position and stood up. She was quick to follow.

"O-our deal…"

He nodded, and gave her one last smirk that told her that he wasn't about to forget.

There were hand seals, smoke, and the altering of bright orange to deep blue and then, Hinata saw a pair of striking black eyes.

Her eyes widened. Intuition had told her that it would turn out to be someone she had heard of. But never in hell did she envision _him_. She wouldn't be that shocked if it was Shino or even Chouji for that matter, but Uchiha Sasuke was completely at another level.

"Ja, Hinata-_chan_."

She could feel her pulse quickening and the blood of her whole system rushing to her face as he gave her an I'm-out-to-get-you-so-be-ready look before disappearing in a flash of smoke.

Hinata wasn't exactly sure what it meant, but it had far too many implications that were enough to send her hyperventilating.

**-o-O-o-**

**kingyo sukui –** means 'scooping the goldfish' It's a traditional childhood game in Japan where you scoop goldfish out of a tank using a net or paper scoops (which are more challenging) I'm sure you've heard of it :)

I think there was an overuse of the word smirk in this chapter. ; I'm trying writing the 6th chapter asap so the update won't be that late, I just hope I can post it by next week.

Oh btw, feedback is always very much appreciated. ;) ;) ;)


	6. guilt

Disclaimer: Yes, I'm still writing a disclaimer…

I guess this is the time when I'll apologize profusely and thank my readers.

**Amethyst Blossom – **thank you for the compliment :) here it is

**funkyboots – **glad you likes, I dunno what else to say but I'm happy you reviewed.

**MicrosoftWord – **ur welcome, I'm glad you think so. btw, (even if its completely off topic)I like your penname

**wolf-enzeru – **I finally updated (though it was a late one), I hope the length makes up for it, though I still don't think its long enough to do so -.-

**Genjy0-Sanz0 – **I'm glad to hear that you're rooting for sasuke

**RemyLuver – **I don't like sakura myself, must be her guts or something, or pink

**YumYum-Chan – **omg I cant believe you found it that cute, and I thought I couldn't write anything cute, thank you :)

**xxMizukixx – **actually, I've learnt how to make particularly evil cliffhangers from a friend…mwahahaha

**Nioma Maxwell – **sorry it took some, scratch that, a lot of time to update, homework is getting too hectic, it's driving me nuts. Btw, I think my imagination was at its peak when I wrote that line.

**Shanice Miharu – **I'm pleased you liked how I planned the events so far, even though I get author's block frequently. and I kinda like writing freaky sasuke with freaked hinata

**insanely-normal – **you'll love me more once I update right? ;)

**Xoni Newcomer – **I've been finding means to improve my writing so I'm insanely happy that you took the time to criticize my work :) I left what made Hinata suspicious of Sasuke to the reader's imagination coz I felt that adding in all that would drag the chapter too much.

**Fractured wings 01 – **I'm glad you reviewed:) I'm still waiting loyally for the next chapter of your fic, wonder when you'll update

**queenocupcakes – **I'm thrilled that so many people like this pairing ,

**shikaruTo – **its alright :) this chap wouldn't have enough sasuhina moments but I'm sure it will increase in the next following chapters.

**Hokai Amplifier – **you're right on the kiba part :), I'm glad you liked the last chapter since I had a little difficultly on writing how it would turn out

I'm sorry if I couldn't upload the next chapter soon, school just began 2 weeks ago and the teachers/slavedrivers are piling us w/ homework again. -.- Uuh, I've decided to write the next chapters out only when I'm inspired/ feeling up to it, so it won't some out forced and I'll be able to edit it completely. Which would also mean that updates will be made on random times (the longest would be umm, about 2 months) I'm sorry for that, but I'll try my best to write it out as fast as I can. Thanks :)

**-o-Guilt-o-**

The sun chose this time to show off its bright and magnificent splendor, blinding everything that could breath, suffocating them with heat and stretching its rays to all that it could reach. But sadly, not all appreciate this wonder of nature. Days like these were not uncommon to the townspeople; nevertheless, many had stopped from working because of the unbearable heat. A few chose to sleep it away, while some were lounging outside, seated lazily as they fanned their exhaustion with paper fans. The elder ones in the community blamed it on an upcoming storm, but preferably most chose to stay indoors.

There were a few stately homes that needn't worry on the weather. A prime example being the Hyuuga's domain; wherein heavy curtains shielded most of the harsh rays from its pale occupants.

There was one room in particular who had taken advantage of these drapes. Still, a beam of gentle light streamed through a corner, giving a soft glow to the otherwise dim surroundings.

The metal shone brilliantly under that crack of sunlight.

She shifted her wrist and watched the bangle tinkle, studying its delicate impressions glimmer with an absentminded smile.

Hinata rolled over to her side with a sigh. She was lying sprawled in her futon, lunch had just ended, and so had her daily training. So she lay there, just thinking.

"…Sasuke."

Hinata immediately flushed hotly as the word unconsciously escaped from her lips. She paused for a while, hearing her heart throb erratically in her eardrums. The girl could feel a giddy, bursting sensation in her lungs, sensing rising warmth on her cheeks at the same time. Despite the sudden urge to do so, Hinata didn't squeal, she never did, choosing instead to relish the brimming sensation. Smiling dreamily, she looked back once more at the piece of jewelry and then buried her face on her pillow.

What could be worse than crushing on the town's heartthrob?

**-o-O-o-**

Hinata never expected she would end up outside, like some, who chose to torture themselves in the heat. But she was searching for something, or rather someone, and she hadn't had any luck since she went out. Hinata was about to give up, reasoning that he must be somewhere indoors himself, when she heard a bellow. She strained her ears temporarily, half thinking that it was the heat getting to her when she heard it once more; it was unmistakable.

"HINATA! WAIT! HINATAAAA!"

The Hyuuga halted to look back, seeing in her wake, a large cloud of dust steadily making its way towards her. One should be staring at the cloud for an extended period of time to be able to discern a bright orange blob at its center, one that Hinata didn't fail to see.

Her eyes widened as she realized that she had completely forgotten about him for the past few days. "…N-naruto-kun!" She breathed.

Naruto skidded to an end just as he was about to pass right through her.

"Gomen! Gomen ne Hinata," He didn't even pause to catch his breath after what seemed like running a marathon. "I completely forgot about our date the other day and then I realized I didn't even know where your house was so I'msorryI'msorryI'msorry—"

He was greeted with silence, one that he translated as a profoundly hurt one.

"I-it's okay Naruto-kun…" Hinata finally said softly, shame hindering her from making eye contact. Naruto evidently looked relieved, though not entirely. He still suspected some sort of disappointment from Hinata, but he exhaled loudly to cover it up, after which an uneasy silence overlapped his previous ramblings.

Both didn't dare meet the other's eyes; ironically, guilt was the instigator on both parties.

After a few moments of hesitation, Hinata felt compelled to make the first move in order to steer the uncomfortable silence off to a lighter topic. "Um…ano, d-do you know where S-s-sasuke-kun is?"

Her face automatically turned beet red. She just hoped he didn't notice as she twiddled her fingers.

He didn't, instead giving her a confused look, rolling "Sasuke-kun?" in his tongue like a foreign word.

"I-I meant S-sasuke." She said a bit too quickly. It was just her luck that Naruto let the subject slide off easily.

"I think he's training somewhere near the park."-he mumbled something that sounded like 'bastard'- "OH, you're delivering a message to him?"

"…Y-yes…" Hinata lied, albeit a bit badly.

There was a thoughtful pause, then, Naruto punched the air, his vigor returning. "YOSH! Then I'll show you the way!"

Hegrabbed her wrist energetically and Hinata was quick to follow, to avoid getting dragged on the ground.

Sheneedn't worry about extensive lengths of silence along the way, Naruto filled the gap with random chattering once they started walking,talking about anything that came to mind.She was starting to relax as she listened to his voice, but nervousness was creeping in at the same time.

What would she say after she'd thanked him for the night before? Surely, it would be quite awkward, and she was sure she'd flush and stutter so terribly if ever she should set her eyes on him again.

The Hyuuga was so deep in thought that her frame crashed carelessly with Naruto's when he stopped.

"S-sorry." She flushed.

"S'alright." Naruto answered quickly and avoided her eyes, looking as scarlet as she did.

She could already see a dark silhouette in the distance; it was Sasuke without doubt, training as vigorously as ever. It was hard to imagine anyone training at this temperature, but then she wondered vaguely if he hardly did anything else.

"Ah, Hinata," Naruto said, cutting heroff her thoughts. He rubbed his head, his sign of nervousness. "About last time, sorry again about what happened and uh, if you want...wecanhaveanotheronetomakeupforit.-a pregnant pause-I promise I won't screw it up! I'll memorize your address this time and um, uh yeah…" He trailed off.

She had been expecting herself to be insanely happy at this moment, but was surprised when nothing of that sort of emotion came.Hinata couldn't understand why she wasn't feeling as giddy as she would've been, when she'd been fantasizing about this for the past few years. She was actually even having second thoughts. Maybe it was—

"I-I'm sorry," She started, surprised at herself. Hinata didn't know what possessed her to reject his offer. "b-but um I, I-I…"

The Hyuuga instantly felt regret as Naruto's expression crumbled in dejection, but he covered it up easily with his fox grin; a sure sign that he had been practicing it for years.

"It's okay." Hinata looked up, not entirely surprised at Naruto's overly cheerful tone. "There's always next time right?" He forced a laugh. "Well, I'm off; I still have some business with old hag Tsunade. I'll just see you around some other time! JA!" And he took off running before Hinata could say a word.

Lips quirked from the distance. They were out of earshot, but with his skills, he could hear them quite well. Hehad witnessed Naruto's façade drop as soon as his back was turned from Hinata,and Sasuke gloated at how the scene turned out, somehow a smug feeling that he had beaten his rival.

"Dobe." He murmured in satisfaction, ignoring at the same time, the heavy feeling rising steadily from taking some sort of sick pleasure from his best friend's misery.

Still, his eyes continued to follow him, just as Hinata's did, until he was nearly out of sight. It was then when their eyes had met, and Hinata naturally flushed a shade of red.

He couldn't explain why his mood had risen somewhat when he realized that she had come to see him.

But he shook it off, almost rolling his eyes when he saw Hinata timidly approaching him, wringing her fingers nervously. She was worthless, just another annoying girl now that she had outlived her usefulness; when he had finally gotten even with Naruto for the last time the idiot had beaten him.

He didn't bother to greet her once she had arrived a comfortable distance from him, something that Hinata was used to. She continued wringing her hands, subconsciously feeling like some sort of fangirl.

There was silence.

"Sasuke—" She started, and was cut short once she dared to look him in the eye. He wasn't glaring at her, but his eyes were blank and cold, gazing at her as if they were complete strangers. Hinata suddenly felt like she had swallowed a melon and it was stuck in her throat.

His aura emanated certain hostility as he stared somewhere else jadedly, waiting impatiently for her to continue. Hinata struggled with her words, losing most of the ease she felt when she was around him.

"A-ano…"

It was strange how atypical guilt suddenly struck Sasuke as he saw a slight tremor in her lower lip.

"…It's n-nothing…" She managed to choke out before ambling hurriedly away.

Something in his gut seemed to deflate; he could have sworn that she was about to cry. Now, more than ever, victory didn't seem as sweet.

He punched the dummy behind him, resuming his battle sequence to keep his thoughts off trivialities. Somewhere in his mind, an image of a lonely girl standing in the rain flashed by.

And he kicked the wooden post harder.

**-o-O-o-**

Hinata berated herself for being so stupid for the nth time. She had been too assuming to think that someone had wanted to truly get to know her, and Uchiha Sasuke of all people. She shouldn't have gotten her hopes up too high. And had she known how he would react, she wouldn't have gone and gotten herself hurt.

She had been too lost in thought that she had forgotten to go home, preferring instead to wander aimlessly around Konoha to take her mind off certain things. But even after having eaten a light dinner in Ichiraku, and finally arriving back home, nothing changed.

The muddled colors of dusk reflected her thoughts quite soundly, she thought, as she stared through the clear pane. She stood unmoving as she watched the sun tire from the day's activity, slowly but surely going to sleep over the horizons.

Hinata suddenly lifted her form from leaning by the windowsill, hearing light footsteps approaching.

Unexpectedly, it turned out to be Neji, and by the look he had, it seemed he was ordered to deliver another message. Little did she know that it was for her, until he didn't go any further.

"Hiashi-sama called for you." He told her in his usual toneless sort of way. The worried pause he gave startled her. It was almost like he wanted to tell her something, but Neji seemed to think better of it after a second, choosing to continue past her and heading for the other corridor.

Hinata couldn't help it, but she could feel an awful sense of foreboding.

Already feeling quite jittery, she didn't bother stop by into her room, instead, going directly to what served as her father's office. And soon, large shoji screens stood menacingly before her.

Hinata dropped her hand just as she was about to knock, seemingly contemplating, and then brought it back up with a little more confidence.

A dull hollow sound echoed.

There was silence on the other side, then the shadow behind the thin paper shifted; a sure sign that he was waiting.

Hinata hesitated a while before swallowing whatever anxiety she was feeling and venturing in.

The room was still the same after all the times since she'd last seen it. Décor was sparse, as was the furniture lining the corners; the area gave more emphasis on the large oak wood table and the cushions situated around it, serving the purpose of radiating a professional air quite well.

It reflected her father's character, cold, calm, precise and no-nonsense. Exactly what he was giving off while seated on the middle padding, back ramrod straight. The atmosphere was too bitter and formal, making it hard to insinuate that they were related by blood.

"Hinata." He greeted acidly. She winced.

The Hyuuga head gestured for her to take a seat. But Hinata chose to stay rooted to the ground, showing her father that she wasn't the weak-willed girl he had known years ago. She was proud to say that he had glanced at her with much more respect after that, but it was forgotten with whatever matter they had in hand.

"I'll be frank with you."

Her father paused as he rubbed his temple, and all at once, Hinata could see his old age settling in. Stress marked his eyes.

"You know very well that you're to be the next clan head, but you're…performance for the past decade has proven unsatisfactory for the elders."

Hinata bowed her head in shame. "…H-hai."

"Therefore," He continued impassively "We've come to discuss this crucial matter."

She had a gut feeling of what he was going to say next. Her stomach sank even lower; it was probably the safest way to get rid of her.

"We've engaged you with the heir of the Iwanaga clan in the hidden stone village."

Hinata hid her fists behind her back; she could feel it trembling in her disappointment. His clothes rustled as Hiashi stood from his seating position, seemingly ignorant of his daughter's feelings, and strode to exit the room. He stopped right before he opened the door, standing adjacent to Hinata.

"Your incompetence cannot be tolerated. I hope you realize, that this union is for the betterment of our clan."

His look softened and he wavered, before patting her shoulder crisply as some sort of fatherly gesture, but Hinata wasn't comforted, not one bit.

"You'll take your leave tomorrow, we've already arranged for the ANBU to serve as your escorts."

He muttered a curt "Sleep well." before shutting the door.

Her father knew very well that she was part of ANBU herself, and what hurt the most was that he didn't trust in her abilities, or acknowledged that she had any at all.

The silence was deafening.

Hinata stared into space, looking at nothing in particular; she didn't know why she felt nothing.

She gazed blankly at her surroundings for a little while longer before slowly getting up and trudging towards her room.

**-o-O-o-**

For lack of better things to say...I'll take this time to clarify Sasuke's motives. Subconsciously, Sasuke's main reason for pursuing Hinata is because of his rivalry with Naruto, that's why in the 2nd chapter, he only took action after finding out that Hinata liked Naruto. He didn't consider the 'date' in another earlier chapter as anything romantic, but only as something like a friendly dinner; it's only Hinata that sees it that way. But in the process of these events, he's developing unwanted emotions. ;) whew and that's the main gist of it i guess. Soo… review please:) :)


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